AI in Education with Texas A&M Mays Business School Assistant Dean of AI, Arnold Castro | Episode #0004
Start Small, Think Big - A podcast and newsletter that guides you on your AI and Automation journey.Show Notes
Follow the SSTB Newsletter.
Summary In this episode of the Start Small Think Big podcast, host Brad Groux and guests Robert Groux, Carrie Hundley, and Arnold Castro discuss the transformative role of AI in education and business. Arnold, the Assistant Dean of AI at Texas A&M's Mays Business School, shares insights on the initiatives being launched to prepare students for an AI-driven workforce. The conversation covers the importance of data, the concept of agentic AI, and the unique position of Texas A&M in leading AI education. The guests emphasize the need for businesses and educational institutions to embrace AI, train their workforce, and adapt to the changing landscape to remain competitive.
Keywords AI, education, business, automation, data science, agentic AI, Texas A&M, Mays Business School, technology adoption, workforce development
Takeaways AI is transforming education and business processes. Texas A&M is leading in AI education initiatives. Data quality is crucial for effective AI implementation. Agentic AI represents a new frontier in automation. Training existing employees on AI is essential for success. The youth are eager to learn and adapt to AI technologies. Businesses must embrace change to stay competitive. Integrators will be key in the future workforce. AI can enhance productivity and efficiency in various roles. Collaboration between IT and business leaders is vital for AI adoption. Harnessing AI in Education and Business The Future of AI: Insights from Texas A&M "Don't be afraid of AI, embrace it." "AI can help you do more with less." "Embrace change, don't resist it."
Titles Harnessing AI in Education and Business The Future of AI: Insights from Texas A&M
Sound Bites "Don't be afraid of AI, embrace it." "AI can help you do more with less." "Embrace change, don't resist it."
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests 00:52 Arnold Castro's Background and Role at Texas A&M 04:42 AI Initiatives and Competitions at Mays Business School 14:01 The Impact of AI on Education and Business 21:02 Understanding Agentic AI and Its Implications 26:08 Texas A&M's Unique Position in AI Education 28:28 Elevating Mesa Business School and A&M's Initiatives 35:37 Embracing AI in Education 39:23 The ROI of Automation and AI 49:20 Bridging the Gap: Leadership and Ground-Level Perspectives 01:00:34 Preparing the Next Generation for an AI-Driven Future 01:05:36 Reflections on the Conversation with Arnold 01:06:19 Looking Ahead: Future Collaborations and Events 01:06:45 Embracing AI: Insights from Arnold Castro 01:07:08 Closing Thoughts and Next Week's Topic
https://lintr.ee/digitalmeld We build tools that save businesses time and money by helping them unlock their greatest potential and achieve growth through data, automation, and AI-powered solutions.
More from Start Small, Think Big - A podcast and newsletter that guides you on your AI and Automation journey.
AI can help you finish the work. It cannot take responsibility for whether the work is right. Doug Gabbard, Principal Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft and the creator behind Practicing Photography, joins Brad Groux and Robert Groux to talk about using AI where it actually helps: learning unfamiliar creative tools, finding buried knowledge, improving scripts, and turning experience into better requirements. Doug shares how he uses screenshots to get help in Photoshop and Lightroom, builds agents around departmental SharePoint knowledge, and brings engineering discipline to his photography workflow. We also get into the limits: confident wrong answers, missing security requirements, the future of entry-level learning, and why people skills still matter. The question to take back to your next project: What did I miss? Takeaways Start with a real task you understand, not a tool you want an excuse to use. Give AI the relevant context: source material, desired outcome, constraints, and what failure looks like. A script that runs is not automatically secure, scalable, or ready for other people to use. Ask for criticism and missing requirements, then check the response against evidence. Use AI to repurpose your own ideas without handing over your point of view. Keep learning the fundamentals—and learn to explain them to people. Resources discussed Microsoft Adobe Photoshop Adobe Lightroom ChatGPT Gemini Claude Microsoft Copilot SharePoint Backblaze Azure Blob Storage Synology n8n Supabase OpenClaw PowerShell Microsoft Sentinel Microsoft Agent Builder quick start (PDF) Follow Doug Practicing Photography YouTube LinkedIn Follow Start Small, Think Big Find the podcast, newsletter, and our other channels: https://linktr.ee/digitalmeld More episodes and articles: https://digitalmeld.io/podcast/ Recorded February 19, 2026. Product availability, pricing, and policies discussed reflect the conversation at that time. Doug shares his own experience; this is not an official Microsoft product announcement. Recorded and edited using Riverside — https://go.sstb.ai/riverside (affiliate link). Affiliate disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. Digital Meld may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.
Follow the Start Small, Think Big newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7305986878653022210/
Follow the SSTB Newsletter. Special thanks to Allen Martinez , and check out BXAIOS.
Follow the SSTB Newsletter. Special thanks to Matt Dorman, and check out NDEVR.
Follow the SSTB Newsletter. Special thanks to Randy Gage.